Back in Steelport
by professor.zinki
Summary: Maddison Hytes, leader of the world-famous Third Street Saints, has a mission given to her by the gang's head-hacker, Kinzie Kensington. This mission is to retrieve the NEMO chair from a rival gang of computer-smart teenagers: the Deckers. When Maddison goes to disable the routers, she meets her long-lost best friend: Matt Miller. What will happen to them as they fall in love?
1. Chapter 1

I woke up bright and early one morning to the sound of my phone ringing. I reluctantly sat up in my bed, and answered the phone. It was Kinzie. "Great. Come over to Smiling Jack's now. Can't explain, too many could be listening. Bye." she said, hanging up. I groaned a little, before climbing out of bed and getting my day clothes on: a black-and-cream steam punk corset, a tan skirt with black leggings, black shoes, and my blue Genki Girl earrings.

I went into the kitchen, and pulled out a microwavable breakfast sandwich. Placing it into the microwave, I called Kinzie back. "I'll be there soon-" "I told you, too many can be listening." Kinzie said harshly, before hanging up. The microwave beeped, and I pulled out my sandwich.

Slowly, I ate my sandwich as I walked towards the garage. I hopped on my pink motor cycle, and finished my food. The garage door creaked open, and I was soon on my way to the diner for whatever odd reason Kinzie wanted me there for.

I was soon there, and I walked in. "Down here!" Kinzie said. I looked underneath one of the tables, and sure enough, Kinzie was sitting there. "Why the hell did you wake me up, Kinzie?" I asked. She rolled her eyes, and then said "Remember the Deckers? I pinpointed the location they have the chair, which is at the power plant. I need you to take me over so I can get an exact location. Then, you come in." "What do you mean I come in?" I asked.

"Once I get the location of the NEMO chair, I would need you to go in and disconnect it from the routers. Oleg and I will then come in and assist you with the chair. Of course, that is if the Deckers don't brutally murder us." Kinzie replied. "What? I was never told about this!" I called out loudly. I looked up, and saw someone in a blue-and-grey outfit.

"Nice going, Maddison. Now the plan is ruined." Kinzie flatly said. "No, it isn't." I said, pulling out my pistol and picking off the undercover Decker soldier. There was a dead silence, before everyone else in the diner freaked out. "Let's go!" I shouted, grabbing Kinzie's hand. She closed her laptop and put it into her backpack, before rushing out with me to my motorcycle.

Once we were both on, I took off quickly. "Go to our headquarters. We will take a helicopter there, so I can pinpoint it from the sky, without being seen." Kinzie shouted. I turned right, then left, and left again, and in a few twists and turns we were at the Saints HQ. I rolled into the garage, and both of us took the elevator to the penthouse.

Oleg greeted Kinzie and me on the topmost floor. "Great to see you Maddison, let's go." Oleg said, taking us to the helipad. I took front seat, Kinzie rode shotgun, and Oleg hopped into the back with a rocket launcher to cover us. I raised the helicopter, and we were off to go and retrieve the NEMO chair.

Soon, we were hovering over the cooling towers of the power plant. I looked at Kinzie. "Go forwards." She commanded. I tilted the helicopter forwards a little, and we inched forwards. "Little more, and to the left." Kinzie mumbled. I did so. She did a victory laugh, and said "Here we are! Maddison, I'll take over. Parachute into the cooling tower below and disconnect the chair." Kinzie said, relieved. I climbed over to the back, and Oleg handed me my parachute. "Good luck." He said. "Thanks." I replied, before leaping from the open door.

I glided through the air, and opened my parachute as I was about two hundred feet from the top of the main cooling towers. I landed safely on the ground, and ditched the open parachute for my pistol that I loved. Of course, the parachute and the soft thud of me landing attracted some of the Deckers. I easily took them out, and proceeded on.

Before I knew it, I was alone in a room full of the enemy with the NEMO chair. I cursed softly under my breath, before pulling out my machine gun. I barely made it to the first one, before being surprised by Kinzie on my phone. "Press the off button-" "I know." I sternly replied, hanging up. I pressed the button, and there was a sudden silence. "Stop right there." a strong voice commanded.

My breath shortened. Before me was the leader of the Deckers… but he looked familiar? "Matt Miller? Is that you?" I asked. Matt walked over to me, and pinned me to the wall by my neck. "How do you know- Maddison?!" he said, bewildered. "It's been so long!" I squealed, reaching for something in my pocket. I pulled it out, and gave it to Matt. "Call me a while after I take the chair." I said, gasping for air.

Matt let his arm off of my throat. "All right. Guys, this person is ok. She is my friend from elementary-" he said, as there was a hole ripped open by Kinzie and Oleg with the truck. Kinzie rushed over to my side, and dragged me away. Oleg got the chair, and everyone helped with getting it on the bed. I waved goodbye to Matt and the rest, and then hopped on the truck bed.

"Are you ok?" Kinzie asked, worried. "I'm just fine. When that man pinned me against the wall, that's when you came. Thank you for coming to assist me." I shouted from the back, when my phone ringed. "Gotta take this." I said, and Kinzie poked her head out from the passenger's door. "Alright." Kinzie replied, as I took the call.

"Hello?" I asked. "Hey, Maddison, it's Matt." the voice replied. "Hey there! After we get to Kinzie's, how about I come over for a visit?" I asked Matt, careful not to say his name. "Sure. Bye!" Matt replied, hanging up. "Who was it?" Kinzie asked after the call. "It's an old friend of mine. He wants me, and me only, to meet him at the diner after we take this to your place." I replied, as Oleg announced "We're here." Kinzie looked at me, but shrugged and said "Alright. Bye!" "Bye!" I shouted, hopping on my motorcycle.

I was soon at the diner, and sure enough, Matt was there as well. I looked at him, and he motioned me closer with his hand. "Hey there!" I said happily, as I sat in the seat across from him. "Hey Maddison, what's up? Were you followed?" he asked. "No, I wasn't." I replied, smiling. The server walked up to us. "Welcome to Smiling Jack's, my name is Alexandra, and I'll be your server. Can I start you two off with a drink?" she asked. "I'll take a glass of water." I replied. "Water's fine with me as well." Matt responded. The server took notes down. "I'll be back." she said, placing two menus down.

"So, Maddison, I guess you can say this is our first formal…" Matt said, menu covering his face. It might of looked like he was looking it over, but I guessed he was blushing underneath. "Our first date? I guess you can say that." I replied, with a happy tone. Matt brought the menu down from his face. "Yeah." he simply said, before picking the menu back up. I looked over the menu as well, and then the server came by. "Here you go. Do you need more time or are you ready to order?" she asked. "I'll take a club sandwich, with fries and tartar sauce on the side." I said. "Fish and chips please, no lemon." Matt replied. The server left without a word.

Matt looked at me. "So, how's life with the Saints?" he asked. "Oh, it can be hard at times, but it is usually quiet. Kinzie woke me up early this morning." I replied. "How did you become the leader of the Deckers?" "Oh, it's a long story. I'll save it for a later date." Matt responded. "You, with the Saints?" he asked. "Well, I was recruited by Johnny as a friend, and when he died… I took over." I said, voice sort of hollow.

"That must suck horribly." Matt said, comfortingly. "Yeah it does, but I can put it behind me. How was life since we last met? Not at the power plant, but back in secondary school?" I asked. "Nothing much." he replied, as the food came. We both ate quietly, enjoying every savory flavor.

By the time we left the diner, the sun was about to set. I looked at Matt, and he grabbed both of my hands. "Wanna do this tomorrow? But instead, want to play a little Genkibowl?" he asked. "Sure, at five in the afternoon?" I asked. "Perfect!" Matt shouted, as he left. "Bye!" I said. He shouted back a very happy "Bye!" I got into my motorcycle, and headed towards the Saints headquarters.

Kinzie was at the lobby when I arrived. "Maddison! You're back!" she shouted, hugging me. "Were any of the Deckers following you?" she asked. "No, not a single blue streak anywhere." I replied. "Sweet." she said, as we both got into the elevator. "Goodnight!" I said, as I walked to my third-floor room. "Goodnight." Kinzie replied, as the elevators whisked her upwards.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I changed into my purple nightgown and flopped into my bed. "Thankfully she didn't ask how it went…" I said to myself, before grabbing the TV remote and turning on the TV. I looked at the screen, and Doctor Who was on! I rushed to my kitchen and popped a bag of popcorn. I got back to my bed, with a bowl of kettle-corn popcorn and Doctor Who.

After the episodes ended, I placed my bowl in my kitchen sink. I looked out the window, now it is almost night. I climbed into my bed, and turned off my lamp light. I looked up to the ceiling, wondering about Matt and our date earlier that day. Shrugging it off, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

I woke up the next morning naturally this time. I blinked my eyes, and rubbed them. _Not in a rush._ I thought, as I got up and walked over to the counter. I grabbed a small bowl from the cabinets, and poured some chocolate rice crisps into my bowl. I opened the fridge, and poured some soy milk into the bowl. Putting the carton back, I closed the fridge door.

I sat down at the table, spoon in hand. I was eating my cereal, when I heard the elevator. It was Kinzie and Shaundi, here to talk to me. "Hey there!" I said, but Kinzie looked a little mad. "Who were you with last night, at the diner?" she asked, harshly. "An old friend from back in secondary school." I replied. Shaundi looked at me, then to Kinzie. "All right…" Kinzie muttered, but Shaundi interrupted. "Is this friend you met up with the leader of our enemy?" she said, with a strong tone. "No, it was no-" I started to mumble, but Kinzie interrupted with a small voice clip of yesterday.

"How the hell did you get that?!" I asked, scared. "We both know your secret. Now, we won't tell anyone if you promise to never meet up with him in a friendly matter again. Got it?" Kinzie asked. "I promise." I said, shooken. "Ok, we won't tell anyone." Kinzie replied, deleting the voice clip. Both left in the same way they entered: without a noise.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked at my phone, and saw the microscopic mic that Kinzie slipped at some time. I took that phone, opened the window, and dropped it. The phone shattered on the ground into lots of pieces, and I sighed in relief again. I pulled out my small personal phone, and looked it over for small microphones. Nope, none out of the ordinary.

Before I knew it, it was time to meet Matt at the Genkibowl doors. I sneaked to the elevator, and was met by Kinzie by surprise. "Hey," I said, "I'm going out to take a little ride around town, ok?" "Alright." Kinzie said, and we rode down in silence. When we got to the bottom floor, Kinzie and I exited the elevator.

I looked at Kinzie, and waved goodbye. Kinzie waved back, before heading towards the back of the building. I shrugged, and hopped onto the motorcycle. I sped around the block, out of sight of Kinzie or Shaundi. I had to make sure that Kinzie did not slip any microphones to my personal phone. Checking, I saw that there were none.

A few minutes later, Matt and I were in the starting room of the Genkibowl arena. He looked at me, and I looked at him. We both picked up the provided weapons, and charged into the arena. "This is fun!" I shouted over the gunfire. "I know!" Matt shouted in reply, as the two familiar voices of Zach and Bobby echoed. "Welcome to another round of Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax. Zach, who do we have here today?" "Well, we have the returning champion, the leader of the Saints, and… Hold the phone, Bobby, is that Matt Miller, leader of the Deckers?" Zach's voice sounded through the speakers.

"It sure is. Surprised that they aren't shooting at each other." Bobby's voice echoed, as both Matt and I proceeded to the next room. "Matt, I think they might see something. Let's both shoot each other, no, not directly, but in our general area!" I shouted over the gunfire. As the last mascot fell dead, Matt fired a bullet from his pistol right over my head. I fired one of mine right under his arm. We both proceeded to the next room. "Last one!" I shouted.

"And they're off! Both took a separate route this room, and this may be dangerous since this is our last room!" "Damn straight, Bobby. Professor Genki went crazy on the mascots in thi- I can't believe it! They did it alive!" Zach said, with startlement in his voice. "Matt… we did it!" I said, out of breath. "Right…" Matt replied, as both of us left the arena and headed our separate ways.

I looked back at Matt, and stopped him. "Do you mind if I come over and spend the night tonight?" I asked. "Sure, I know the others won't mind. I'll tell them you're coming. Take this. Wear these when you come." Matt said, handing me a box of clothes. It was just like his – a great jacket, pants, shoes, and a Bluetooth mic – except this coat had no pink star on it. "Alright. I'll change at the Planet Saints on my way. See ya!" I shouted, heading towards the Planet Saints near HQ.

I called Kinzie on my phone. "Kinzie, I was called by my sister, she wants me to spend the night. Watch out for the Saints while I'm gone." I commanded. "Got it." Kinzie replied, before hanging up. I sighed happily, as I arrived at the store. Going inside, I changed into my disguise, and headed towards the Deckers' base.

I came up to the door of the main cool down tower. A specialist answered the door. "Are you that one woman Matt invited over?" she asked, with a dragged tone in her voice. "Yeah." I replied, as Matt came from behind the specialist. "Hey, Maddison!" he shouted happily. "Matt!" I said in response, and hugged him hard. "You two actually like each other? Odd." the specialist muttered, before walking away.

Matt looked at me. "Good, you're wearing the clothes I gave you. Follow me, I'll show you around." he said. "I'm good. I saw everything when I came here initially, to take the NEMO chair." I said, happily. "Right. So, want to explore the world I created? It's based off of a Nyte Blayde episode." Matt said, taking me to his watch room. "Sure." I replied, sitting into the only other NEMO chair in existence. "Here we go!" Matt said, sitting at the console.

Soon, I was inside a glowing world. It was like a movie, but a normal world at the same time. I walked around for a while, before Matt got too impatient and pulled me out of the simulation. "Let me go!" he whined. "Alright." I sighed, and I helped Matt get into the cyber world that he made himself.

An hour later, Matt got out of his chair. I looked at him, and he smiled. "Maddison, want to go out? Like, out to greet the members?" Matt asked. "Of course!" I replied, happily. I walked behind him slowly, and soon we were where the NEMO chair was. I smiled a little, as Matt rushed to get some sleeping bags. "Let's sleep out here!" he shouted, setting up the bags. "Heh, Matt, you're just like how I remember you; childish around ones you care for." I said, hopping into the sleeping bag next to Matt's. "Goodnight!" I said. "G'night." Matt whispered, as we both drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up, I saw a familiar figure over me: Kinzie. I bit my lip a little, but saw that she had a worried look on her face. Going with the flow, I acted scared. "K-Kinzie? Thank you for coming here. My sister and I were out on a ride, and the Deckers-" "No need to explain. Your sister called, worried." Kinzie interrupted. "She did?" I asked. "Get up. Looks like he's waking." Kinzie whispered.

I looked at Matt's sleeping body, then at Kinzie. "Go, I'll meet you at the car. I'll make sure this doesn't happen again." I said, and Kinzie left. Matt woke up, eyes fluttering. "Was that agent Kensington?" he asked, sleepily. "Yes, she came to get me. I told her to wait at the car. Gotta go, bye." I said, giving him a hug.

"Back, Kinzie." I said, looking back. "He's not going to move for a while." I muttered. "Great." Kinzie said, as we both got to the car. As Kinzie drove back, I looked at the cooling tower. I had to tell Kinzie… No, I don't. Don't tell her, I told my self. Don't tell her. Don't tell her. Don't-

"Kinzie, I want to say that… Matt and I went out again last night!" I shouted, suddenly realizing the trouble I put myself in. The car stopped suddenly. "What the hell, Maddison? After you promised. You. Promised." Kinzie said, infuriated. I shrunk back in my seat, and looked at her. Kinzie drove us back to HQ, and took me to the penthouse by force.

"Everyone. Maddison has something to say." Kinzie said, in an angry tone. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and stared at me. My stomach sank like a stone. I looked into the eyes of every Saint there – painfully knowing that I am betraying them all. I gulped hard, and said: "I have been out on a date with Matt Miller yesterday. I stayed the night at his stronghold."

Everyone was speechless. I felt the fiery hatred burning in their eyes. Every single person down there knew now. I took another big gulp. "Now saying this, I shall leave the Saints. For good. Kinzie, you're in charge now." I said, before walking out onto the helipad. I called Matt, and he came in a helicopter.

"Did you tell them?" he asked. "Yes, I did… but now, at least I still have you, right? I left them for good." I said, sorrowfully. "That's… awesome!" he shouted, wrapping his arms around me. I smiled, and looked at him. "I still have the clothes I gave you, but I threw them away. Because… you're being auto-promoted." Matt said, as a specialist grabbed one of Matt's spare coats. "Welcome to the Deckers, queen Maddison. You may rule beside me, for I am the king."


	2. Chapter 2

My heart raced. I couldn't believe it; he's making me… co-leader? I was speechless. He looked at me, with a scared expression, but it soon settled. "I knew you were going to be like this. It's like when I was recruited into the Syndicate – when I earned my star." Matt said, looking at the star on the left half of his coat collar. "Really? Can you tell me more?" I asked, still speechless.

We were taking a slow ride over a sleepy Steelport. "Well, it all started when Phillipe needed someone to hack his way into a website. Back then, I was just recruited into the Deckers, and there was no leader. Everyone in my team looked at me, and I stepped forward. 'I will.' I shouted. Everyone was speechless, and I sat in the tiny office chair. 'Do it.' Phillipe commanded harshly. I typed away at my keyboard for an hour, and I broke through."

"I broke through! Everyone cheered loudly for me. I looked around, and then Loren commanded me front and center. There, I earned my leadership for the Deckers – and a place in the Syndicate." Matt explained. "Must have been really horrible in the dead silence, right?" I asked when the airplane landed on the Deckers' helipad. "We're here." I said, as both of us hopped from the helicopter's cabin. "Who was driving?" I asked.

"One of the programs I put together. Wonderful, isn't it?" Matt replied, with a smile. "Yeah…" I said, as we entered the room. Everyone already in there stopped what they were doing, and got into a defensive stance. "Everyone, calm down. She's with us now." Matt explained. Everyone relaxed, and we proceeded to the NEMO chair-less platform.

"Everyone, attention." Matt hollered, and everyone looked towards us. He looked at me, as if he expected me to say something. "Hello, everyone. You may have seen me when I came here yesterday to take the NEMO chair for the Saints. Well, with honor and pain in my chest, I can say that I have left the Saints and joined you." I announced. Everyone looked at me with wide eyes, and then there was a cheer.

"Apparently they were waiting for you to say that?" Matt had told me. "Guess so." I replied, as everyone got back to what they were doing. "Alright, let me show you to your new room." Matt said, grabbing my hand. He took me up the stairs and through the hallway to a large room. "I'll take this bed, you have this one?" Matt asked, hopping on one of the blue beds, and pointing at the other one across the room.

I hopped into the bed, surprised by how soft it was. "Sure!" I shouted, as I looked up at the ceiling. To think I woke up this morning as the leader of the Saints, now I will sleep tonight as the co-leader of the Deckers. I smiled a little, before Matt grabbed my hand. "Wanna go outside?" he asked. "Sure…" I muttered, as he took me outside.

The sun was just rising as we got out. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Matt asked. "It is. Very nice indeed, over the water." I replied, in awe. The sun looked like a cooling ball of metal, dripping its shavings of warmness into the water. I inhaled deeply, and smelled a nice mix of water and morning. "Well, girl," Matt said, nudging my right arm. "Let me teach you on how we live." "Ok!" I replied, happily.

When we got inside, nearly everyone was asleep. I yawned a little, and then lied down on the floor. "Right…" I thought I heard Matt said, as the room fell silent, except the soft humming of the powered supercomputers and the gentle breathe-in, breathe-out rhythm of everyone.

When I woke up next, I was under the covers of a soft bed, and warm. I blinked, and saw Matt sitting at the foot of the bed. "Rise and shine, Maddison. We've got a long day ahead of us." Matt whispered, shaking my leg. I sat up, and we both left the room without talking to each other.

"We start with our daily check. Kirsten? Come here." Matt commanded, and the girl that greeted me before came. She looked at me, then to Matt. "Take her, and teach her about us, and some of your specialist things." he said. "A'right. Come here, Maddison." Kirsten said, as Matt left. "Follow." she said, walking towards a back door.

When we got outside, I saw some specialists running around. "I'll teach you to run." Kirsten said, as she nudged my side. I looked at her, and then nodded. "First, just relax and clear your mind." she commanded, as she did so. I followed her steps. "Now, run as fast as you can." Kirsten said, running to a barrel that was half of a mile away. I followed, but was far behind.

"Faster." Kirsten said, running back. I ran alongside her, but failed to beat her. We did this for hours as the sun rose high, but I eventually caught up to speed. Well, it did take at least three hours of non-stop running. Out of breath, I asked for a drink. Kirsten gave me a bottle, and I drank half of it in one gulp.

Kirsten smiled at me. "You're almost to the next part. One more hour." She said, encouraging me. I smiled a little bit, before running back and forth for another hour. After that hour, there was a bell over the PA system. "Maddison, that's the announcement bell." Kirsten said, taking my hand and running inside.

Everyone looked up, towards Matt on the balcony. He looked at me, and then motioned for me to come up. When I got there, Matt asked me something that I couldn't make a sound from. I shrugged, and then looked down. Everyone looked at us, and I looked back. "Welcome back everyone." Matt said, happily. "As you know, we have Maddison on our side now. She's to be treated as a friend, and respected as a leader. You are dismissed." he finished, turning to talk to me.

"How's training with Kirsten?" Matt asked. "Rough, but fun." I replied, with full honesty. "Go back and train more." he demanded, and I left without another word. "Kirsten? Where are you?" I shouted, and I heard an "Over here!" from outside. Walking out the back doors, I saw Kirsten with a shock hammer in hand. "Hey there," she spoke, "who kept you back?" "Matt did. He just wanted to ask me how the day is." I replied. "Got it." she said.

"Next and final part of training: how to use one of these." Kirsten muttered, raising the hammer high above her head. Bringing it down with a huge thud, she sent shockwaves through the ground that nearly toppled me over. "Woah!" I shouted, when she handed the hammer to me. "Do what I did." Kirsten commanded. I lifted the hammer above my head, and fell backwards.

"Get up and do it again." I heard Kirsten say. Getting up, I raised the hammer above my head. It stayed there. Taking a deep breath, I forced the head to the ground. It sent out a shock that I have never felt before. "Great job, I think you are ready!" Kirsten said, when she looked at the sky. "Almost night." I said, as we both headed inside.

The room was alive with supercomputers and their operators. I looked at Kirsten, and followed her to her computer. "You remind me a lot of Kinzie." I told her. Kirsten looked at me, and put her finger over my mouth. "Do not speak of the enemy unless referring to them for combat purposes." she scolded. "If you do not remember, I am co-leader here." I said, sternly. "Right…" Kirsten said, turning back to her computer.

"Maddison!" I heard Matt shout. Turning around, I braced myself to be knocked over. But I was not. "How was training today?" he asked. "It was fun. When I tried to use the shock hammer, I fell on my first try." I replied. We both chuckled a little. "Well, I wanted to take you on a trip tonight." Matt had said. I tilted my head. "A trip?" I asked. "Yeah, at night." he replied, grabbing my hand.

When we got to our location, it was nearly black out. The lights of Steelport flickered out, and the moonlight shined down on both of us on the rooftop high above the city. I looked at Matt, his face barely visible in the pale moonlight. "Why are we up here again?" I asked, confused. He grabbed my hand. "Don't fall, but look down." Matt said. I tilted my head down, and saw a beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime sight: a clear street that dazzled like a flowing river in the moonlight. "It's..." "Beautiful, indeed." Matt said, finishing my sentence. The moon was now higher in the sky, illuminating the rooftop, and all of the lights in Steelport flickered back on.

It blinded both of us for a moment, but then the lights went out again. "Why are they going out like this?" I asked. "The team is using all of the power tonight." Matt replied, as we both sat down. After a few minutes of silence, I looked at Matt. "Once again, why are we up here?" I asked. "Wait until the perfect moment, and you'll see why." was the reply I got.

It was about midnight when he motioned for me to stand up. I looked at Matt, puzzled. I heard him breathe in deeply, and then out. "Look at me." he demanded. I did so, and at that moment, I swear I felt time slow down, or even stop. "Maddison… there's something on your face." Matt said, in a near whisper. I looked at him, with confusion. "What's on my-" I attempted to ask, but he silenced me in the best possible way I could think: a kiss. No, not on the cheek or forehead. The lips.

My stomach did a complete flop. It took me a few seconds to take it in, but I eventually got it. I closed my eyes, and enjoyed the moment for as long as I could. Matt pulled back. My eyes widened. "Was that too fast?" he asked, worried. It took me a long time to compile a simple answer, for I was at a lost for words. All that I could stutter out was a simple "No."

I felt him smile. "I hope it wasn't." I heard him say, affectionately. "I am so glad I left the Saints." I said, wrapping my arms around him. "Thank you." I whispered, as I fell asleep on his shoulder. I felt him pick me up, and I guess that he was taking me back to the power plant for the night.

I woke up next morning, remembering last night. My smile widened, as I sat up in bed. I looked across the room, and saw Matt in his bed, fast asleep. I snuck out of the room, and found my way to the main room. Only a few soldiers and Kirsten were in the room. Looking at Kirsten, she walked up to me. "Hey, Maddison. You up early?" she asked. "Yeah." I replied. "Wanna talk a little outside?"

"Sure." Kirsten replied. We both walked outside to a sunny morning. "How was last night with Matt?" Kirsten asked. I looked down at the ground, and felt myself blush a little as I kicked a rock far. "Did he… did he make a move?" Kirsten asked, as we got to a bench nearby. I smiled a little, and replied with a "Yeah." "No. Way." Kirsten replied, with astonishment. "What did he do?" she asked. I looked at her, and touched my lips with my middle and index fingers.

I saw her eyes widen. "Really?" Kirsten asked, with astonishment in her voice. "Yeah, I did." I heard Matt said, surprising me. There he was, standing in front of both of us, with a smile on his face that sort of scared me. Kirsten looked at him, wide eyed. I smiled as well, as Matt shook his head. "Anyway, what do you two have planned?" he asked. "We were just getting to that. Maddison, what do you want to do?" Kirsten asked.

"How about we go for a ride? I'll show you a slice of my old lifestyle, since you showed me some of yours." I replied. "Sure!" Kirsten said, hopping up from the bench. "Goodbye, Matt!" I said, waving goodbye. "Alright, bye!" he replied. I looked back, as the doors closed. "Kirsten, let's just ride in the motorcycle?" I asked. "Sure…" she replied.

As I got onto my motorcycle, Kirsten pushed me off. "What was that for?" I asked. "Nothing, just wanted you to ditch that pink scrap pile." She replied, taking my hand and pulling me to a blue (and better) version of mine. "Nice…" I said, hopping in. "Now we can ride." Kirsten said, as I pulled out and started driving.

The first building we stopped was the Saints headquarters. I looked up, and then felt a small pain inside. "Why are we here? We could be killed!" Kirsten shouted. I looked at her with an assuring face. "They won't mind. I'll just say that I'm picking up my personal things of value." I told her, as we walked in the front doors.

I called the elevator down, and was greeted by Kinzie. "It's you again? Get out or I'll-" "Kinzie. I'm just here to grab my sentimental items and leave. My friend is here to assist me." I interrupted. Kinzie's eyes narrowed, but she nodded. "You got one hour." She said, stepping out. "Let's go." I said to Kirsten, and we took the elevator up to my old room.

"This was my room before I came to the Deckers." I said, leading Kirsten into the small room. "Damn, this is small." She commented. "I know. Let's grab my things and leave." I said, walking to my closet. Opening the door, I grabbed my Genki Girl earrings, and my sonic screwdriver (that looked like the Ninth doctor's). Kirsten picked up the coffee maker and a few bags of coffee. "Is that all?" Kirsten asked. "Yes, it is." I said, walking to the window.

Placing my hand on the window, I started to cry a little. Everything I knew, every Saint I met, and even my colleagues… all of them are gone. Kinzie and the rest now hate me. Tears were falling down my face when Kirsten placed the coffee maker on my nightstand and walked over to me. "It's alright." She said, hugging me. I sobbed a little harder, but there was a ding of an elevator nearby.

Kinzie appeared from the elevator. "Time's up. Leave." she commanded, but was silenced when she saw me. "Maddison… if it makes you feel better… everyone else forgot about you." Kinzie said. I looked at her from Kirsten's shoulder, and smacked Kinzie right on the side of her face in a blur of rage and sadness. "Call for backup. We'll need it." I commanded Kirsten. She did so.

I looked at Kinzie with a blurred vision. She came up and attacked me as well. We got into a huge fight just as Pierce, Shaundi, Viola, and the rest went down to check on Kinzie. At the same time, though, the Deckers were waiting outside for the next command. I yelled out as loud as I could. "Everyone! Come up and assist!" I heard a loud crash, and moments later, some of the Deckers were here to assist.

It got out into a full on fight. It ended when my coffee maker was destroyed, and I heard Matt's voice over the megaphone. "Maddison! Jump from the window, and onto the helicopter!" it sounded, and I did so. Making sure that I had my sonic screwdriver and my earrings, I jumped from the window and onto the waiting helicopter below. I smiled when Matt assisted me up, and Kirsten followed.

I took the megaphone from Matt's hands, and gave it to Kirsten, sitting next to me. "Deckers, retreat! Retreat!" she shouted. Everyone with even a hint of blue rushed back to their vehicles, and drove back to base. I grabbed the binoculars from a nearby box, and looked through them. I saw an emotionless Kinzie staring in my general direction, and it was clear that she was really mad.


	3. Chapter 3

Matt looked at me as we headed back. "Are you ok?" he asked, worried. I felt on my face, and found a deep gash in my right cheek. "Not really…" I replied, showing him the wound. He got up, and went to the first aid. He grabbed the suture inside, and then sat right down next to my right side. "Hold still." Matt said, as he stitched the cut shut.

I smiled, feeling slightly better. "Thank you. You're good at that." I said, feeling the now closed cut. "Why, thank you. I have been doing it for years." Matt replied, with a happy tone in his voice. Kirsten took a quick peek out, and said "We're almost there." with a happy tone. "Great!" I said, pulling out my sonic screwdriver.

"What is that?" Matt asked, touching the blue end of my sonic screwdriver. "It is a sonic screwdriver. It comes from Doctor Who, one of my favorite shows." I said, fumbling around with it. I pressed a button, and the blue end glowed a little. "Doctor Who? What show is that?" Kirsten asked, moving closer to Matt and me.

"Well, Doctor Who is about a nine hundred-something time lord who travels around in his time travel device, called the TARDIS, and takes his companions around time and space, saving the world and stuff." I said. Kirsten and Matt looked at me in awe.  
"Really?" Kirsten asked, as the automatic pilot announced our arrival.

I took Matt and Kirsten into my room, and turned on the TV. Matt pulled the blue bean bag chairs from under his bed, and set them for all three of us. I flicked through the on demand stuff, and played one of my favorite episodes: The Eleventh Hour.

After the episode ended, I asked Matt and Kirsten something important. "Is this something you like?" Both responded with an enthusiastic "Yeah!" I smiled a little. "Great!" I replied, as I put on the next episode. Five episodes later, I looked at the clock, and turned off the TV. "It's almost time to go to sleep for me. Goodnight!" I said, shooing the two out of the room so I could change into my blue nightgown.

After I changed, I let Matt back in. "Matt, I just wanted to say… thank you so much for last night's surprise. I really enjoyed it. A lot." I said. "Glad you did." He responded, happily. "Well, good night, I guess?" I asked, climbing into my bed. "Alright. See you in the morning!" Matt replied, climbing into his own bed. I closed my eyes, and fell asleep.

In my dream that night, I was undercover as a recruitee for the Saints. I was wearing a wig, and other things that made sure my identity wasn't uncovered. I was also in the penthouse, with Kinzie. My name there was Maria Ali, and we were discussing… me, when I was the leader of the Saints.

"Yeah, she must have been a huge threat then." I said, jokingly. Kinzie snapped at me, then settled down. "Yeah, you were." Kinzie said, tearing my wig off. My eyes shrunk, and then my friends, like Pierce and Shaundi, appeared from behind the shadows. Kinzie looked at me with a dirty look, and pointed a pistol at my head. There was a gunshot, when I woke up with a jolt in the safety of my bed. I yelled loudly, and awoke Matt.

He walked over to my side, and grabbed my hand. "Nightmare got you up?" he asked. I breathed heavily. "Yes." I replied. Matt looked at me for a moment, before climbing in next to me. "I'll keep you safe." he whispered, falling back asleep. Feeling more secure now, I fell back asleep as well.

In the morning, Matt was back in his own bed. I smiled, and walked over to his. "Thanks." I whispered, looking at the sleeping man under the covers. I walked over to my closet, and put on my outfit – it is just like Matt's in every way. I smiled a little, before heading out of the room and towards the throne room.

I peered through the window. There were a few people down there, and I smiled. I turned around, and walked down there. Greeting everyone down there, I walked outside to sit by myself. When I got to the bench, my heart felt heavy. I knew the things I have done to get here.

Betrayal. Keeping secrets. Breaking rules. Those were just some of the things I done in the past couple of days. I breathed in deeply, and then exhaled. The thoughts of the Saints; Kinzie and all… it just made me cry a little inside. My body felt hollow. Maybe I shouldn't have done this, I thought to myself.

I heard the sound of footsteps in the distance. I lifted my head from my hands, and saw Kirsten walking towards me. "Past got you down?" she asked. "Yeah. Everything I knew is gone… and I miss them every now and then." I replied, voice hollow. "Don't worry. I had been in a similar situation myself." Kirsten said, assuringly.

"Really?" I asked. "Yeah, but I prefer not to talk about it." Kirsten replied. "Got it." I said, happily. "Is Matt up yet? I want to talk to him for a moment." She asked. After Kirsten said that, Matt was walking by. "You need me?" Matt asked. "Yeah. When are gonna move on the Saints and get the last NEMO chair back? We need it if we want to succeed." Kirsten asked.

"Right. Kirsten, Maddison, come with me." Matt commanded. I followed close behind, and smiled a little. I'm guessing that that was our first battle meeting. When we eventually got to our destination, Matt stopped us. He punched in a code, and a secret door opened.

Inside was top-secret tech: like new weapons and such. Kirsten and I looked in awe, as Matt led us through the maze. We got to the battle room in a few minutes. "Alright. We will take action tomorrow. Kirsten, debrief Maddison on our plan." Matt said, walking into a smaller room.

"Ok, well first…" Kirsten muttered, bringing up a holographic screen in front of us. "We will have some of our specialists undercover, including me, as guards as Kinzie sets the NEMO chair up. When she is done…" she said, placing a few blue dots on the screen, I guessed that those were the specialists. "…I will call Matt. Then, you and him will take our ambush unit…" Kirsten said, making a box around two large dots with dozens of smaller ones around it. "…and attack the Saints. When they are down, you and Matt will take the NEMO chair and leave. After I see you disappear, I will call the attack off and leave. Got it?" Kirsten explained.

"Understand." I replied, looking at the board. "But I had a dream about something like this, where I was undercover. Kinzie was able to look through my disguise…" I said, smearing the blue dot representing Kirsten on the holographic screen. "… and kill me." I finished. Kirsten looked at me, then at the board. "I see. If that does happen…" she muttered, doing a few things.

"Alright. You, Matt, and the ambush team will be hiding in a nearby building. And all of this will be taking place at Kinzie's hideaway." Kirsten said, as Matt reappeared. "Did we have a plan revision?" Matt asked, looking at the board. "Yes. Maddison mentioned her dream, where Kinzie saw through her disguise, and killing her. So, I moved you from the building a few blocks away…" Kirsten replied, pointing at the mass of black dots.

"Got it. Save, then take the stick out to the main room so we can tell the team. Maddison, come with me." Matt replied. I followed him out of the room, and into the main room of the cooling tower. "Everyone on Ambush team Alpha and Beta, report to the meeting area outside." I said, and Matt patted my back. "Well done." He said, as we walked outside.

Soon, everyone was outside, and had their eyes trained on Matt, Kirsten, and I. "Our plan has been finalized. Kirsten and Maddison, want to explain?" Matt asked, motioning towards us. Kirsten plugged the external hard drive into the portable holographic computer. "Sure. Some of our specialists, including Kirsten, will be undercover guarding Kinzie setting up the chair." I said, making the dots appear that represent the specialists.

I heard some of the specialists chattering to each other, worried. "Matt, Maddison, and the rest of the ambush unit will be hiding here." Kirsten said, making a few dots in a nearby building. "We will come earlier if cover is blown. If not, we will come when Kirsten calls." I said, drawing an arrow to Kinzie's hideout.

Everyone clapped in approval. I was happy inside, and looked at Matt. "Kirsten will hand pick some of our best specialists to go to the Image As Designed nearby to get wigs and a makeup job, and then to the Planet Saints as well to get clothes. As they are doing that, Maddison and I will take the rest to the building we will be hiding at." Matt said, motioning to us.

"Of course, this will all happen tomorrow." He finished. "I expect each and every one of you to be up at seven o' clock, sharp. We will be heading out then." I said, motioning to Kirsten. "I will say that we are there as guards when we get to Kinzie's, my crew." She said, walking down to the specialists. She picked ten from the crowd. "We sleep out here tonight." Kirsten commanded, taking the group to the tents set up nearby.

I looked at the rest of them. "We sleep out here as well." I said, walking over to another group of tents. "Ok, everyone, take a partner and a tent." Matt said, walking me over to a large tent. "Our tent, as always." Matt said, leading me in. I got inside, and there were a pair of sleeping bags, and a mini fridge. "Care for a water?" Matt asked, grabbing bottled water from the fridge. "Sure." I replied, as a bottle of water was thrown at my face.

Catching it, I opened the cap and took a sip from it. "I'll be back." I said, walking outside. Everyone had a tent, and I smiled a little inside. Grabbing a pan and a spoon, I made two clashing noises. All of the soldiers (and a few specialists as well) emerged from the tents.

It was getting dark outside. "Well, everyone, get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us all." I said, and everyone went back into their tents. Matt came from the tent. "Maddison, come inside." He said, with a calm voice. I nodded, and walked into the large tent.

I took a sleeping bag, and he took one. "You know… Matt… if this fails, all of us could die tomorrow." I said, looking up. "Right. Let's hope that doesn't happen. Goodnight." Matt said, turning off the small light in the tent. It got dark really quick. "Goodnight." I replied, falling asleep.

I had another dream that night as well. This time, we were at the location where we were hiding. "Matt… is this safe?" one of the specialists wondered. "Totally." I said, but there was a loud banging on the metal garage door nearby. And another, and another. The door succumbed to the outside force, and there was the anti-ambush crew of two: Johnny and Pierce.

I looked at the two in horror. "Surprise." I heard Johnny say, as gunshots were fired. Almost everyone was shot and killed. Eventually, they got to Matt and I. As Johnny took care of Matt, Pierce held me back as I watched in horror, the murder of Matt. My eyes widened, as Johnny's pistol was aimed for my head.

I awoke with a jolt again, breathing heavily. I looked over to Matt, and he was still asleep. Sighing deeply, I laid my head on my pillow, and looked up at the ceiling.

What if we die tomorrow? What if the plans fail? All of these scenarios ran through my head, but I quickly shut them out. I fell back asleep, with a cleared mind.

In the morning, I woke up to the alarm clock. "I'll wake up the specialists." I told Matt, as he woke up. "Got it." He replied. I walked out of the tent with my outfit on, and I walked across the pavement to where Kirsten was. I pulled out the pan and spoon from the pouch near Kirsten's bed, and banged it seven times. "Wake up, everyone. It's show time." I said, as everyone emerged from their warm tents.

As the specialists left to go to the Image As Designed, I walked over to where the others were. "Alright everyone, today is the day. We go in, do what we need to, and leave. Show no mercy to the opponents. Once we get out there, it's kill or be killed. Good luck, everyone. Pack up and meet Matt and I at the garage in one hour." I said, as Matt nodded in approval.

I was getting all the cars ready when Matt and the team came. "Kirsten just called. She said that they are on their way to Kinzie's. Let's roll." He said, excited. I hopped onto one of the motorcycles, and rolled out. I had everyone else, including Matt, follow in trucks, every one of them capable of holding a NEMO chair.

When we got into position, I saw Kirsten and the others go into Kinzie's, undercover. I smiled a little, then turned to the team. "Ambush team alpha, guard the perimeter. Team beta, cover Matt and I. We'll be looking at the place for a signal to move." I said, as my phone buzzed. "We're ready." I heard Kirsten say, before hanging up.

I turned around. "Attention. We just got the signal to move." I said, as Matt interrupted. "Alright! It is now or never!" he said, in a happy tone. Everyone shouted "Yeah!" before I opened the metal door. We busted out of there like a bullet, and were on our way.

We busted down the door to Kinzie's. She was surprised by the fact that I was there, and she got into a defensive stance. "Attack!" I shouted. Everyone attacked the Saints, as I pulled Matt to the side. "The chair's in the back." I said. "Got it. Let's go." He replied, with certainty.

When we got to the back, nobody was there. "Go get one of the trucks. I can hold my position." I said, and Matt left without a word. A few minutes later, he was back. "Great. Disconnect it. I'll help with the chair." I said, looking towards the door. Kirsten ran from it towards me.

"Maddison!" she said, out of breath. "Hurry up. We're down to our last five, including me." She said, worried. "Matt!" I shouted. "Got it. Help me with this." Matt said, holding the chair at one end. With Kirsten's help, we got it onto the truck. I took it and drove to the front.

Dead bodies laid everywhere. Only one stood, but he was then picked off by Kinzie. I drove away as fast as I could. I heard a sigh of relief from both Matt and Kirsten. "Everyone fine?" I asked. "I am." Matt replied. "Sort of. Just a shot in the foot, but I'll be ok." Kirsten said, with a little pain in her voice.

When we got back to the power plant, I looked back. Many have died for me today. I looked forwards, and rolled into the hidden parking lot. When we got into the main cooling tower room, everyone looked at us. "We got it, but only we survived." Kirsten said, head low.


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone cheered, then fell silent. I looked at them, heart heavy as well. "I need help with the chair." I said, as a few followed me to the back. As we got to the truck, Matt was near the back door, hand holding the top of the door, and head hanging. "Are you ok, Matt?" I asked, worried.

He looked at me, then back at the ground. I placed my hand on his shoulder, but he took it and threw it off. Kirsten walked over, and looked at me. "Let him be." She said, grabbing my hand. "Alright…" I muttered, looking at Matt. I felt worried for him… I hope he'd be ok…

When Kirsten and I got back to the cool tower's room, the chair was back. I walked over to it, and touched the seat cushions. To think a few days ago, that I stole this chair, and now I just took it back… I walked out to the truck, and sure enough, Matt was still there.

I grabbed his shoulders, and made him rest his head on my shoulder. I felt his arms wrap around me, and felt him sob softly into my neck. I smiled a little, and patted his back. "It's ok, the ambush is over now." I cooed, trying to calm him down. Matt put his hands on my shoulders, and pushed away.

"I want to be alone." I heard Matt say in a cracked up voice, and he ran away. Kirsten walked up to me. "Matt had lost someone who he really cared for." She said, taking me to the nearest park bench. "Who was it?" I asked, worried. "His brother." Kirsten replied, with sorrow in her voice as well. "He was my best friend as well…"

I placed my hand on Kirsten's shoulder. "I know the feeling. Felt the same way when Johnny died." I said, starting to cry as well. I shook it off, and left Kirsten on the bench by herself. I walked to my bedroom, and there was Matt, face in his pillow. I placed a hand on his back.

"You can talk to me, Matt. I know how you feel." I said, calmingly. Matt looked at me. "You won't-" "You lost your brother?" I asked, sitting next to him. He threw his arms around me, and replied with a soft, and quiet, yes. Patting Matt's back, I told him the same thing I told Kirsten. "I lost a friend as well. He was like a brother to me as well."

"Let me sleep." I heard Matt say, harshly. I walked over to my bed, and fell asleep. I woke up that night to the sound of night terrors. I got up from my bed, and walked over to Matt's. I climbed in next to him, and fell asleep. I smiled a little, as I felt him settle a little.

Morning came quickly. I woke up next to Matt, who woke up soon after I did. "Maddison… are you ok?" he asked, as if I was the one who sobbed last night. "No, I'm fine." I replied. "Good." Matt said, leaping out of bed. I fell back asleep for a while. I tossed a little, before waking up a few minutes later.

I walked to the watch room. Matt was there as well, and was normal again. He hopped up from his chair, and hugged me hard. "Morning, Maddison!" he said, happily. I smiled a little, then said my morning greeting as well. "Anything planned for today?" I asked, with happiness in my voice.

"No, nothing much." He replied, in the same tone I did. I smiled, and walked down to the main area. It was full of soldiers and specialists alike. I walked over to the NEMO chair, and sat in it. One of the soldiers got me connected into the network, and then I started my adventure.

I was in the same place I was a few days ago. I saw a gigantic dragon thing walking towards me. I was scared, but was calmed down by Matt's voice. I was turned into one as well. "Welcome to the UseNet." Matt said, happily. "Let me show you around." He said, grabbing my hand and taking flight.

We were flying over a glowing city. I looked at Matt's avatar, then back down. We landed at a nearby tower. "This is the lookout tower. Some of the specialists come here once in a while, just to make sure nobody that is not allowed in here is in here." Matt said, motioning downwards. I looked down, and saw a few lines before leaving the virtual world.

I woke up in the NEMO chair with a jolt. "Maddison. Get up." Kirsten said, with urgency in her voice. I walked outside, and saw a purple helicopter in the sky. "Do you know what this means?" she said, with a worried tone. "Yes. We're being attacked. And hard." I replied, rushing inside to get Matt.

"We're being attacked." I said, pulling Matt from his NEMO chair. We both got outside, but saw nothing. I looked at Kirsten. "False alarm." I said, with a growl in my voice. "Sorry boss. I get alarmed every now and then." Kirsten said, shrinking a little.

I smiled. "It's ok, for now." I replied, happily. Kirsten looked at me, then at Matt. "Ha, it's ok with me if it is ok with Maddison." Matt said, happily. We all laughed a little, walking inside. "Normal day. Maddison, do whatever you'd like." Matt said, when Kirsten left. "Thanks." I replied, rushing outside.

I was riding on my motorcycle, and came across the Smiling Jack's. I walked inside, and got a seat that Matt and I sat at once. Ordering the water, I looked across the table. I was alone, with nobody to talk to. There was silence, then the loud sounds a celebrity usually brings.

I looked outside. There was nobody to be seen. I looked down, and felt chills. The diner fell apart around me, and I sank into darkness. I hit a dark floor hard, and saw nothing. Nothing, but a white door. I walked through, and I suddenly _woke up_. My head was on the diner's table, and the server was waking me up. I ordered the same thing that I ordered when I went out with Matt, and then left.

I got back to the Deckers' base. I looked around, and walked into my bedroom. I backflopped onto my bed, and then got up. I changed into my nightgown, and buried myself in its soft covers. It smelled of sweet cleanliness, and it had lulled me into wondrous sleep.

I woke up to the sound of the television being turned on. I looked in front of me, and there was Kirsten and Matt. "Want to watch Doctor Who again?" I asked, hopping out of bed and joining them. "Yes." Kirsten replied, and I took the remote from Matt. I smiled, and put on another favorite episode of mine: Rose. It was the first episode of the Ninth doctor, my favorite. I grabbed my sonic screwdriver, and watched Doctor Who with my two closest friends.

After a few episodes, it was starting to get dark out. I went into my bed, and watched a few episodes in there before falling asleep. In my dream, I was back in the black abyss with the white door. I walked through the door, to find myself in deep space with nobody around. There were a few purple stars in front of me.

I walked up to them, and reached out to it. The stars instantly rose up, and formed something that looked like a star. I looked up, and saw that the few purple stars were replaced with dozens of blue ones. There was also one large purple one, and one large blue one next to each other in the middle of the star.

The purple one flickered out, and then glowed blue. After that, one section of the star disappeared. The two open ends joined together to make a four-point star. All of a sudden, the stars flickered out, as I felt something pulling me through the white door and back into reality.

That something was the smell of burning. I woke up in my bed, and found that the television caught fire. I rushed over to Matt's bed, and woke him up. "Fire, get everyone out." I said, and Matt rushed to get the soldiers. I ran to where the specialists were, and woke them up. As soon as I did, I rushed everyone outside.

I was joined by Matt and the soldiers. "Everyone, take a group of ten and evacuate by foot. We will meet at the diner a few blocks away." I commanded, as we ran for our lives. As we ran, there was gunfire, and I heard someone fall down, and utter a bone-rattling shriek.

Kirsten! Matt and I rushed over to her, and picked her body up. We took it to the diner, and everyone who evacuated was there. Matt placed Kirsten on the counter, and I broke down the door leading into the kitchen. It was really dark in there, for it was still the dead of night outside.

I got the first aid kit and rushed outside. "How is Kirsten?" I asked, placing the kit on a nearby table. "Shot twice in the leg, once in the shoulder." Matt replied, as one of the specialists took the kit from me. I walked out to the outdoor lamp post, and sat down. I pulled out my personal phone, and started looking at the pictures.

The first one was of Johnny and me, in Stillwater, at my acceptance ceremony. I deleted it, and the next one was of Kinzie, when we first met her. I deleted that as well, and there were no more pictures. All of a sudden, I got a text from a blocked number. I looked at it quickly. It was Kinzie, saying "Have fun repairing this one" with a smiley face after it.

I got so mad, that I took the phone and chucked it at the glass door of the diner. It crashed through, and I went to go grab it. One of the soldiers grabbed my arm, and took me over to Matt. I looked at Kirsten lying there, and then I felt a hand on my shoulder. My heart sank like a stone. I grabbed Kirsten's wrist, but felt no pulse. I placed my hand on her chest, and no breath.

"I know who did this." I said, voice hollow. I pulled out my phone, and showed everyone the text. I walked over to the nearby table, and sat down. Matt sat next to me, and two other specialists that were close friends of Kirsten sat across from us. "We have lost someone important, and now it is time to launch project Alpha Wolf." I heard Matt say, quietly.

Everyone fell silent. "What is that?" I asked, out of curiosity. Matt got up, and took me outside. "Why are we alone?" I asked, confused. "Project Alpha Wolf is… taking over the Saints and merging them with us to make an even larger Deckers member base." Matt replied, and he took me back to the diner.

I looked at everyone. "I know how to take them over. But first, we must respect Kirsten. Everyone, help me take her body to the lake." I said, and Matt took a truck that was parked nearby. With the help of Kirsten's oldest friends, I took her body and laid it in the back.

We drove to the docks. I took Kirsten's body, and placed it on the edge of the boardwalk. I stepped back, as one of Kirsten's friends walked up to the body with a burning candle in a candle holder. "As the last flame burns for her tonight, the fire of life dies." I heard her say, as she blew out the candle. The stars above flickered, and I walked up to Kirsten's body.

"Goodnight, my friend. We will hold the memory of your helpfulness in our hearts forever." I said, as Matt brought a small raft. I placed Kirsten's body on the raft, and gave it a push. "Travel into the sea, my friend, for it is calling your name. Goodbye, Kirsten." I said, standing up.

Everyone walked back to the truck with a heavy heart. I looked at Matt, and he nodded. "Everyone, take up to three other people and take a car. We will meet at the hotel near Saints HQ." Matt said, hopping into the driver's side of the truck. I rode shotgun, and we were on our way to the hotel.

We arrived at the hotel, and got us an entire floor by force. I took the elevator up, and look at the group as they arrived. I took two from the crowd, and gave them their room keys. I did so, until there were nobody but Matt and I left. "I left this room for us. It's the suite on this floor." I said, walking over to room 1118 on the eleventh floor.

I opened the door with the key, and it was the best view that I ever saw. Steelport looked more beautiful than ever from this room. There was two king sized beds, a couch with a flat screen TV, a whirlpool hot tub with a flat screen TV, and a really nice bathroom. It was luxurious all around.

Matt flopped on his back on one of the beds. I walked over to the other one, and covered myself in the blankets. I fluttered my eyes, before falling asleep. I tossed and turned for a little, rustling the sheets. Getting up, I fixed them, and went back to sleep.

That night, I was back in space, with the blue star from the earlier dream. All of a sudden, I saw a shadowy figure step from the group of stars, scattering them around. It was Kirsten, but now she was just a spirit. "Kirsten…" I said voice empty. "Don't worry my friend. It's not your fault, nor Matt's, not even Kinzie's. I killed myself. I knew that it was best for the team if I left before project Alpha Wolf." She said, hushing me.

I looked at her, puzzled. "From what I knew of you when you were alive, you were amazing! Your strategy worked for the chair! You were amazing!" I said, with a little anger in my voice. "I am the one who set the fire. I inhaled as much smoke as I could before leaving. It wasn't Kinzie's shooting, it was me, inhaling the gasses. On purpose." She said, before fading into the stars. There was a little fizzle, but then I was back at the power plant.

Kirsten rematerialized in front of me. "Follow." She commanded, and I did. We were there, before I came to the Deckers. Older Kirsten there was very clumsy, and always screwed something up. "I still don't see why…" I said voice sad.

Old Steelport faded away, leaving Kirsten and I back in the galactic setting. "I hope you understand." She said, before fading away. The stars that were there before Kirsten came in my dream reappeared, before I woke up, starting a new day.

I sat up in my bed, and grabbed a piece of lined paper, a pen, and sat down at the table in the dining room. Remembering every single detail, I wrote down the dream I had that night. Matt soon woke up, and sat down next to me. "What are you writing?" he asked, curious.

"A dream last night. Kirsten was there." I said, going back to writing. "Kirsten?" Matt asked, with astonishment. He walked out of the room, and when he got back, the rest of the team followed. Everyone sat down, and they only took up about half of the entire room, all 35 of them. I finished writing the dream down, and read it out loud to the rest.

Everyone nodded in agreement. "I see why." One of the specialists said, walking up to me. "I knew since she was recruited. Kirsten was klutzy back then, and was a huge pain-in-the-neck before you came." She said, before sitting back down. "She told me that in her dream. We have to put Kirsten behind us, though." I said, starting to pace in front of the team. "We will check out, and then roll. Aim for Kinzie, Pierce, and the other important Saints. Keep Kinzie alive, though. I want her to feel the pain. After we kill the others, though, we demand the Saints, or they will die."

Matt nodded in approval. "This time, we all go undercover." He said, leaving. I, and the rest of the team, followed. As we checked out and got outside, it was bright outside. All of us headed towards the Image As Designed to get a new disguise as new Saints recruitees.


	5. Chapter 5

When we were finished with our trip at the Image As Designed, everyone headed towards Saints HQ. "Everyone can use their real names to identify themselves, but Matt and I. From now until we take over the Saints, call me Maria Ali." I said, and Matt soon told them "And call me Alexander Mars." "Got it, Maria and Alexander." Everyone replied.

We arrived at the Saints HQ on time. I walked through the doors, and was happily greeted by Kinzie. "Welcome, newcomers. I will take you all the way to the penthouse, follow me." She said, taking the large elevator next to the normal one. Everyone but five fit inside. "You five take the regular elevator and go to the topmost floor." Kinzie commanded, as the elevator doors closed.

The elevator reached the top floor. "Welcome to the penthouse. We are up here to greet the more, well, higher-ups of the Saints." Kinzie said, leading the large group to the rooftop outdoor pool. Kinzie walked up to the people in the line. "This is Oleg, Shaundi, Viola, and Pierce." She said, pointing to each respectively.

"And I am Kinzie, the leader here. Our previous leader, Maddison Hytes, has left us, and joined the Deckers. She is now our enemy." Kinzie said, coming back to the group. I jumped back at my actual name being mentioned, and I looked at the undercover Matt. "Are you up to it?" I asked, winking. Matt turned around to the large group, and the Saints in line were distracted.

Me, and a few specialists, snuck up to the Saints in line. I pulled out my knife, and the others did so too. I counted down from three with my fingers. When I got to zero, everyone with me killed Shaundi, Viola, and the other two brutally.

Kinzie whipped her head around at the noise. "Maddison!" she yelled, as I ripped off my wig and wig cap. Matt grabbed her from behind, and held Kinzie securely. I saw the other Saints gather around us. "I have a proposal for you, Kinzie. Either hand over the Saints so the Deckers can become stronger…" I said, putting my knife away for my pistol. "…or every Saint here will be killed." I finished, harshly.

Kinzie wriggled around in Matt's grasp. "I will never!" she shouted, in fear and anger. I trained the barrel of my pistol at Kinzie's head. "Last chance." I said, ready to pull the trigger. I saw Kinzie dart her eyes around, before sighing. "Alright, I'll do it." Kinzie said, and Matt relieved his grip.

The Saints gasped in disbelief. "Matt, take every Decker, including our new recruits, to get new outfits. Half of the women and Kinzie will be a specialist and our old ones as well. I will stay here and make a broadcast to show on the televisions." I commanded. He nodded, and took the Deckers to the Nobody Loves Me clothing store on the other side of Steelport.

I sighed in relief, as I walked back into the penthouse. I looked at the time, and it was 12:10 PM. I smiled a little, before walking into a room with a camera. I grabbed the camera, and stepped outside again. Setting it up on the tripod, I pressed the record button on the top of it.

"Hello, Steelport. This is a very important message, and you cannot escape this message. The Deckers took over the Saints, and now will take the city." I said, very professional. "Cheers!" I added, finishing the recording. I took the camera, and went inside to look at it.

I saw that the video was perfect. "Great." I said, sitting back on the couch in the penthouse. I grabbed the television remote, and turned on some Doctor Who. Two episodes later, I heard a ringing noise, like an elevator arriving.

"Great." I said, walking up to the balcony in the penthouse. Matt followed me up to there as well. "Got me a new outfit?" I asked, as he handed me a package. "Good." I said, disappearing into the bathroom. When I got back, I was changed back into my Decker king outfit.

I looked at my subjects. "Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Deckers, newcomers. Matt, take everyone new and teach them to be one of us. I'll take the older crew and help them broadcast the message I recorded earlier." I said, looking to Matt. A hundred voices groaned, as they followed Matt downstairs.

Looking at the original Deckers, I held the DVD that has the video on it. "Addison, May, broadcast this. Others, help me convert the headquarters." I said, as two soldiers rushed up and grabbed the disk. As they left, I walked downstairs. "Make everything that is purple blue. And bring in computers so you can work with them." I said, walking outside.

It was a bright day, and I went to the helipad and sat on the edge, parachute on back, just in case. I looked down, and saw Matt and the others outside, near the front doors. I chuckled a little, before pushing myself off of the edge and into a free fall.

I released my parachute about 100 feet above them. I looked down at their faces, and saw none in return. I glided safely down, and landed a few feet behind them. "Hello." I said, taking off the parachute pack. Smiling, Matt walked up to me, and wrapped his arms around me.

I smiled. Stepping back, I looked at the team behind Matt. "How was training today?" I asked, curious. "Well, actually. Everyone seemed to cooperate, and it went well." I heard from him. "Great. Assign everyone a roommate and a room. There are 50 available floors, with five rooms on each. Assign them." I said, as the lights on the building flickered out.

A few moments later, they glowed a bright blue. "Good, they did it. I'll be back." I said, running inside. I looked up at the wall clock in the lobby, and it showed me 4:04 PM with a happy, blue glow. I smiled, as the elevator whisked me up to the penthouse.

I arrived there, with a big smile on my face. "Good work, everyone, the night is yours. Be here by dawn's start." I said, and everyone cheered. A few headed outside, but most walked downstairs. There was an elevator noise, and I whipped my head around. It was Kinzie and Matt…

I walked up to Kinzie. "Well, who is in control of whom now?" I said, looking at her with a hard stare. I saw her gaze shift, as I stepped back. "I thought so. Matt, did everyone get a room?" I asked Matt, curiously. "Correct. Kinzie was the only one without a room, and I thought she'd like to stay up here with us." He said, as Kinzie walked around the now blue room.

"So this is where it goes to, my best friend taking over… You promised, remember? If you have never gone out with Matt… hell, even not have told me… none of this would have happened!" I heard Kinzie hiss, harshly. "But I did. And I succeeded." I replied, looking at Matt. "Actually, put her in the cot in the garage." I said, as one of the soldiers took a hold of Kinzie.

She looked at me with an icy stare, before the elevators closed. "I think I might tag her as a prisoner. You?" I asked, turning to Matt. "Whatever you say about our prisoners and whatnot, I'm alright with it." He replied. I smiled a little inside, and pulled out a pad of paper. I scribbled down 'Kinzie – Prisoner' before putting it away in my pocket.

"Wanna watch a little Who?" I asked, hopping onto the blue couch. "Sure!" was the reply I got, as Matt vaulted over my head. He sat down next to me, and I smiled a little. "Well, look at us now." I said, while I got to the episodes. He chuckled a little, before replying to me. "Yeah, we're climbing the ladder! Wait until the Syndicate hears about this…" Matt said, as I started Blink. Whoopee!

We were hiding behind the couch after the episode. Both scared, we laughed at each other as the credits showed. "Ha, thankfully they are no-" Matt said, looking above the TV at the giant angel statue. We both jumped back a little, before laughing at ourselves again. I pulled out my sonic screwdriver, and pointed it at the statue. "Problem solved!" I said, jokingly.

Matt looked at me for a moment, before shaking his head. "Want to go outside?" he asked, curious. "Sure." I replied, as we went outside, and we were sitting on the pool chairs along the side of the pool. "I remember coming to Steelport. A lot bigger than Stilwater, I tell ya." I said, looking up at the stars. "Do you ever wonder that one of the stars up there is Kirsten?" I added.

"Every night since she died." Was the hollow response I got. "Me too. I hope she is having fun up there and all." I said, voice hollow as well. "I miss her. A lot." I said, a little choked up. "Same." Matt said, standing up. "It's getting cold." He said, taking my hand and guiding me inside.

I looked at Matt, then at the ground, blushing. "Let's go to bed, shall we?" I asked, kicking my foot on the carpet. "Are you remembering that present I gave you?" Matt asked, in a soothing voice. I smiled a little, and gave a response, a simple "Yes." I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and pull me closer to him. "Me too. It was just like tonight…" Matt said, looking outside.

Soon, both of us were on the helipad. I looked at Matt, just as I did that one night. "Matt…" I said, and was soon hushed. "Something on my face?" he asked, as I gave him a surprise kiss like that one night. But this time, we both enjoyed it for as long as we both could. I smiled, as we both pulled away from each other.

"Let's go inside." I said, in a soft voice. We walked inside, and up the staircase. I walked into a blue room with a nice bed and a television, and Matt went into the one behind me. The back wall, the one the bed head was on, had a glass window, looking into the other room. In this case, I could see into Matt's room.

I tapped on the glass. "Goodnight, Matty." I said, before crawling under my covers and falling asleep. That night, I had a dream where Matt and I were the Doctor's companions, and we had to save the world from a Dalek invasion. I smiled in my sleep, enjoying every single minute of it.

I woke up next to the sound of drums being tapped on glass. I walked over to the window, and saw Matt standing there. I smiled and waved. He did as well, leaving the room. I was soon surprised by knocking on the door, and opened it. "Morning." Matt said, happily. "Morning." I replied, happily.

We walked to the elevator, and took it to the garage. I turned the corner, and there was Kinzie, curled up on the small bed. I banged on the wall twice with a tube of metal that was lying around. "Wake up. You got a lot of work to do before joining the others in their ranks." I said, showing Kinzie the note I scribbled down yesterday.

She growled at me. I growled back twice as hard. Kinzie got up, and walked outside. I hoped that she was leaving to do her duties. I looked at Matt, and he went up to the penthouse alone. I shrugged, before hopping onto my blue motorcycle that Kirsten gave me, and rode it outside.

I was on the streets of Steelport, taking a ride around. I stopped at the Genkibowl doors, and smiled a little. Pulling out my phone, I took a picture. I started back on my trip, and before I knew it, I was back at the old Deckers HQ: the Burns Hill Reactor. It was a huge mess. Burned things lied everywhere. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I rode to the docks where we had sent Kirsten off into the sea.

Sitting at the boardwalk that Kirsten's body was on, I put my head in my hands. I looked at the water, and small fish moved about, making small ripples in the water. I kicked the water a little, scaring the fish away. When the water steadied, I saw my reflection in the water.

My black, short hair dangled from my lightly tanned face. Green cat-like eyes glittered in the water, complimented by black eye shadow, and black eye liner. On my lips were a dark, dull blue, slightly smeared from me sleeping in it. I smiled a little, but then frowned, remembering my fallen friend.

I got up about a half hour later. Getting on my motor cycle, I rushed over to the flower shop, and got a single rose. I drove back to the docks and walked back onto the boardwalk that I was on earlier. I took a piece of bark that was floating in the water nearby, and gently placed the rose on it.

"We miss you, Kirsten. Matt and I miss you the most. Project Alpha Wolf was such a success, I wish you were here to see it." I whispered, before blowing the rose out to sea. I cried a little, before hopping onto my motorcycle, and heading back to the new Deckers headquarters.

"I went to the docks today." I said to Matt, who greeted me at the door. "Did you send out a gift of respect?" he asked, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Yes. A single red rose. I also told her of the Project Alpha Wolf." I said, voice hollow. "Thank you for doing that." Matt said, in a soothing voice. "Your welcome. Pleasure is all mine." I replied, as we stepped into the elevator.

We arrived at the penthouse in no time, and the specialist and soldier on the couch looked at us. "Hope you don't mind." The soldier said, a little worried. "I don't." I said, happily. I sat next to them, and Matt sat down right next to me. "That's Alex and Alice." Matt told me. I smiled a little, before looking at the two.

"Hello, Alex and Alice." I said, happily. "Hey there." Alice responded, taking out Eleven's sonic screwdriver. I looked at it, and pulled out my sonic screwdriver. "You a Whovian?" I asked, making my sonic glow. "Yeah! Of course!" she responded, making hers glow as well.

I walked over to her, and we started talking about Doctor Who. I laughed a little, and Alice did as well. After our conversations, I walked over and sat back down, next to Matt. He flicked the remote to the weather channel, and to the children's channel, and so on until he got to the BBC channel.

I smiled, as Alex left the room. "He hates Doctor Who." Alice said, with a smile. Matt, Alice, and I watched the mini-marathon of episodes that night, and saw some new episodes that even I have outside. The episodes ended, and Matt turned off the television. "Let's go to bed, shall we?" he asked, pointing outside. It was nearly night. "Sure." I said, walking into my room and changing into my nightgown.

I walked to the window, and saw Matt in his night clothes: a simple blue shirt with light grey sweatpants. I placed my hand on the glass, and it was met by Matt's hand. I smiled through the glass, and got a smile back. I walked over to my bed, and fell asleep.

That night, I saw Kirsten in my dream again. "Can we talk?" I asked. "No. Must tell you something before I go." Was the reply I got. Shrugging, I followed Kirsten through the celestial body for miles. I looked at Kirsten, confused. She ignored me, when we got to a floating envelope. She handed it to me. I opened it, and streaks of light splattered their selves against the stars, making various images.

These images were of my past, from me waking up one morning because of Kinzie, to Matt's surprise, to me taking over the Saints. I looked at each one confused, then at Kirsten. "Look into each one, and see the familiarity." She said. I walked up to the one of me waking up one morning. There were small scars on my hand that I never noticed before.

I looked at the one of Kinzie and I at Smiling Jack's. There were the scars on my hand, which I have never noticed. Kirsten rolled her eyes, then took me to the one where Matt gave me the surprise gift. I looked closely at my hand in the picture. No scars. I looked at the back of my hand, and there were no scars there.

"It has been a long time since I have seen someone with this before." A booming voice said, as a tall, slender man appeared in front of the picture I was looking at. "Seen what?" I asked, confused. "It is said that the one with scars on their hands are just normal people. But, if those scars disappear when feeling deeply in love…" the man said, making the picture that I was looking at change into important people.

"…those people have some sort of importance. No, not just existing, but doing something. You, Maddison, are one of those people." The man said, transforming into me. I stared at him, confused. "And your partner…" the man spoke, transforming into Matt. "…is one as well." He said, before disappearing. "What does this mean?" I asked Kirsten.

"No idea." She said, shrugging. "But, why don't we have some fun?" Kirsten asked, running fast away from me. "Oh no you don't!" I said, chasing her. We had fun running around the nebulas and hanging on constellations, when I woke up to a fresh morning. I inhaled deeply, then exhaled. I got changed into my uniform, and walked outside.

Matt was there to welcome me at my door. "Did you have a dream last night with a man telling something about scars and healing and stuff?" I asked. "And how important they may be?" he said, finishing my sentence. "Yeah. He told me you and I are ones." I said. Matt nodded. "Same." He said, looking at the back of his hand. I looked, and there were some on my hand as well.

I sighed a little, before straitening my posture. "Well, what to do today?" I asked, curious. "Nothing, I guess." Matt responded, and I walked to the elevator. I went down to the garage to check on Kinzie. She was there, yes, and typing away on her computer. She looked at me, snarled, and went back to typing.

I shrugged, and then walked outside. There were streetlights wrapped in red ribbon. I looked at the ground, and there was a thin layer of snow. I stood there for a moment, before rushing inside. I went up in the elevator, and got to the penthouse in time to catch someone about to go outside.

"It's winter, apparently… and why is the outdoor part not snowy?" I asked. "Heated floors and pool keeps it from freezing." Was the reply I got. I took my shoes and socks off, and walked outside. Surprisingly, it felt very warm. I looked out, and everything seemed normal.

"We installed it after you left, Maddison." The soldier said, before hopping into the pool and making a wet mess. I shook the small amount of water off of me, before walking inside. "Apparently it's almost Christmas time?" I asked to the room. I heard a beeping of a microwave, and then saw someone wrapped in a light blue robe.

"Apparently. I think it might be because of the dream last night, I don't know." Matt said, sitting down on the couch. He grabbed a thin slice of bacon from the plate, and ate a little off of it. "Want one?" he asked. I grabbed one from the plate, and placed it into my mouth. It was crispy. Swallowing it, I gave a polite "Thank you." before walking into the kitchen to get water.

I walked back to the couch, and looked outside. Sitting down, I closed my eyes and fell asleep. There were white stars on the ground, and I saw Kirsten and that man from earlier. I tilted my head in confusion. "Why are you here?" I asked, curiously.

The man took a small beam of light from his pocket. It escaped, splattering a picture against the stars. It was of Matt and I, walking through white halls of some sort. All of a sudden, the picture started to show a small clip. "What do we have today?" I said, in the video. "Press conference. They want to know what plans we have for the government." Matt's voice said, in response.

I took a few steps back. "This future has already been set in stone for you. It is your job to get you there." The man said, before vanishing among the stars. I stared at the picture again, in wonder and in fear. "Kirsten… I like this, but I don't want it." I said, scared. She disappeared as well, and then I woke up.

"Another dream again?" Matt asked, as I blinked. "Yeah." I replied, sleepily. He got up from the chair, and then walked over to his room. When he came down, I saw Matt holding a game box. "Wanna play a little chess?" he asked. "Sure!" I replied, as he set up the board on the nearby table.

He grabbed one of the pawns on the board and moved it forward one square. "We play it my way: anything goes. First one with all of theirs off looses." Matt said, motioning for me to make a move. I smiled a little inside and chuckled a little, before taking my hand and wiping all of his pieces off the board and to the floor.

Matt looked at me, and then smiled. "You win." He said, reaching over to pick up the pieces. I smiled a little before walking over to the elevator. "You mind if I check on Kinzie?" I asked. "Go ahead." Matt replied, walking outside. I called the elevator, and it came. I got inside, and then rode down to the garage where Kinzie was standing, waiting for me.

"Maddison." She said, sternly. I tilted my head to the side, and she pushed me over. Brushing myself off, I knocked her back. Kinzie growled at me, before grabbing a piece of rotting wood and smacking me in the side of the head with it. My head pounded with pain, as my vision blurred. I pulled out my phone, calling Matt. "Come to the basement." I said, before hanging up.

I had Kinzie pinned against the wall when Matt finally got to the garage. "What took you so long?" I asked, as Kinzie kicked me in the stomach. I took a few steps back, as Matt charged towards her. Kinzie knocked him aside, before running to the elevator. We quickly caught up to her as the elevator door closed.

Kinzie reached for my throat. I quickly evaded, sending her fist into the wooden panel lining the wall inside the elevator. Matt took Kinzie and threw her against the doors, making her yelp a little. The elevator binged just as Matt tossed her, sending Kinzie a few feet forward, her skin skidding against the carpet.

She looked at me through squinted eyes. Blood trickled from a small gash from her forehead, making her wince a little more. "Maddison, you traitor!" she yelled, before charging towards me. I stepped to the side, causing her to crash through one of the windows and into the rooftop pool. Shards of glass rose to the surface, along with a little blood. I ran outside, demanding that Matt stayed back.

Kinzie got out of the pool, soaking wet. She pushed me towards the edge of the helipad. We fought there for a moment, before I was near falling off. I shifted my body weight, causing Kinzie to fall off the ledge. I saw her quickly grab the edge. I walked over to her, and saw the blazing fury in her eyes.

"I never thought you would do this, Maddison. Remember when we were friends? Remember the Saints?" Kinzie said, with hurt in her voice. "Yeah, but that is all over now." I harshly said, kicking one of her hands off. She dangled on the edge, before one of her fingers slipped.

"So it comes to this." Kinzie said, eyes closing. I took out my pistol, and shot the remaining three fingers off. "Goodbye." I shouted, as Kinzie descended to her doom. I smiled widely, turning around and walking towards the penthouse. "Did she fall?" Matt asked. "Yeah." I chuckled. He wrapped his arms around me, uttering out a triumphant _hmmph_.

"We won't have to worry about her anymore." Matt said, walking over to the broken window. "What about this?" he asked, hand pointing at the shards of glass splattered across the floor. I thought for a moment, before going to the elevator. I took it to the sixteenth floor, and then to a random room. "Hello, get out, front and center." I said, pounding on the door.

The door creaked open, revealing two specialists. They stood in front of me, with their heads to the sides. "What is it, Maddison?" the specialist on the side asked. "Clean up in the penthouse." I said, as the specialist on the left headed back into the room. She came back with a broom and a trash bag. "Go." I said, as they rushed past me and to the elevator.

I followed them, and went to the penthouse. Matt looked at me as the specialists came from behind me to clean up the shards of glass. "Want to go outside and see if Kinzie's body is there?" I asked, curiously. "Sure." Matt replied, and we took the elevator to the main lobby. I walked outside, and headed towards the back, where the helipad hung over the concrete.

Kinzie's body was there, lying like a ragdoll dropped from a toddler's hand. There was dried blood surrounding the body, and Kinzie's shattered glasses were a few feet from the landing. I walked up to them, and crushed it even further with my foot. Matt was kneeling by the body, poking Kinzie's head. "Agent Kensington's dead." He snorted. I smiled a little before sitting next to him. There was a car nearby, and it drove near us.

I felt Matt tense up a little. He stood up, and dusted himself off. "Who is that?" I asked, as someone got out of the car. Fear struck me as the man that got out of the car walked towards us. My eyes widened as the man came closer. I started to shake a little. That mysterious man was none other than the leader of the Luchadores: Killbane.

"Well done, Matty." He said, looking at Kinzie's dead body. "A-actually, sir, it wasn't me. It was…" Matt said pointing at me. "What?!" I yelled, shaking. "Heh. No need to be afraid." Killbane said, looking at me. I started to shake more violently. Matt looked at me with a hint of fear in his eyes. I looked back at him in the same way.

Killbane snorted. "I'll see you two later." He said, heading back to the car and driving away. Matt settled down, and then looked at me. "Holy crap…" I muttered, looking at Kinzie's body. "You know how important he is? The leader of the Syndicate!" Matt yelled. My eyes widened. "The Syndicate? Isn't Phillipe the leader?" I asked, remembering Phillipe's death.

"Killbane took over. The way he was looking at you…" Matt said, lightly. "What?" I asked, curious. "He's considering recruiting you into the Syndicate." He finished. I took a few steps back, before walking over to Matt. "Yes, the Syndicate. You're the co-leader of the Deckers now. According to the rules set out by Phillipe…" Matt said, typing on his wristband. "… you have to become part of the Syndicate if I am… which I am." He said, putting his arm to his side.

I took a few steps back. I calmed down, as I heard a noise coming from Matt's coat. "A message." He said, pulling out a phone. After a moment of silence, he put it back into his pocket. "What is it?" I asked, curiously. Matt looked at me for a little, before saying something that had hushed me for the rest of the day: "Your induction ceremony into the Syndicate is tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

I took a big gulp, and then looked at the time on my computery wristband. It is only 12:50 in the afternoon. Looking at Matt, I ran back to the main lobby and to the elevator, up to the penthouse. When I got there, I rushed into my room and slammed the door shut. I changed into night clothes then flopped on my back. I breathed heavily on my bed.

The ceiling seemed to spin. "No no no no no no no no no no no…" I muttered to myself, before hearing a knock on the door. "Maddison?" a voice said. The door creaked open, revealing a worried Matt. He walked over next to me, and grabbed my hand. "Don't worry." He cooed, comfortingly. "I was somewhat like this when I was inducted in." Matt said, rubbing my hand. I looked at him, then back at the ceiling.

"Scared?" he asked, worried. "Yeah…" I replied, voice empty. "Very." I added. He got up, and sat at the edge of the bed. "Let me tell you a story." Matt said, rubbing my right leg gently. "Ok…" I said, looking up at the ceiling. He breathed in, and then started a nice story.

"There was this boy named Adam. He was just a little kid, who is very smart. So smart, in fact, that at age 8, he went to high school. There, he was never accepted. Adam was always teased. 'You're too young!' they'd shout. 'Little tike, little tike!' they'd chant, running away." "Sounds rough." I interjected. "Correct. Little Adam never talked at all, before a group of girls approached him one day."

"Now, as you could see, Adam was as scared as hell. One of the girls walked up to him and said 'Hey, you're pretty cool. We want you in our group.' She said. Adam looked at the group of girls with wonder. 'Really?' he asked, scared. 'Of course! Your induction is tomorrow, at lunch. Sit near us.' The girl said, before walking away."

"Woah." I said, with wonder. "It gets better. Adam then went home to his mother. 'Ma,' the boy said, 'these girls at school want me in their group.' Adam's mother ignored him. He went to his room, and did not come out until the next morning. When he got to school, Adam worried a lot, and nearly threw up once during Science. Well, lunch came, and Adam did as he was told."

"And guess what? He was totally fine!" Matt stated, finishing the story. "I guess you told me that story because I am like Adam, right?" I asked, looking at him. He looked back at me, and nodded his head. "Yep. Everything's going to be ok, Maddison." Matt said, looking at the time.

I looked at the time as well. It was getting late. "Matt?" I asked voice fragile. "Yes?" he replied. "Can you sleep in here tonight?" I asked, voice shaking. "Sure." He replied, going into his room. When Matt came back, he had his night clothes on, and a blanket-pillow combo sleeping bag. He set it up next to my bed. Climbing in, he said "Goodnight!" "Goodnight." I replied, closing my eyes.

That dream tonight, there was a stir in the stars. Kirsten appeared, followed by a pissed off Kinzie. "Maddison…" Kirsten said, voice hollow. "What?" I said, as Kinzie magically shifted into a big version of herself. A booming growl came from her throat. "Why?" Kirsten said, looking at me. "She attacked first!" I shouted, as one of Kinzie's gigantic fingers knocked me over, sending me into a free fall.

The dream world spiraled around me with a blur. Then, all of a sudden I stopped. The stars around me transformed into a gigantic truck, heading fast in my direction. I was frozen in horror, as the celestial truck rammed me. I woke up in my bed with a jolt, screaming loudly.

Matt sat up, sleepily. "A dream?" he asked, worried. Before I could say "Yeah", he got up, and climbed into the covers, right next to me. "Thank you." I said, feeling the warmth of his body against mine. I smiled a little, before closing my eyes. "You're welcome." I heard Matt say, before falling into a deep sleep. I turned a little, very happy that he is sleeping right next to me.

I slept soundly through the rest of the night. In the morning, Matt woke me up with a nudge. "Wake up, Maddison. Today's the day." He said, exiting the room. I got up, and put on my day clothes. I met Matt outside of my room. "Let's go." Matt said, taking me to the elevator.

We were soon in the garage. I got into the passenger's side of the car, and Matt drove. The car crawled out of the garage and onto the street, and soon we were heading towards the Three Count casino. On the way there, I shook. "We just left Loren's district. We're almost there." Matt said, eyes on the road.

Sure enough, we were at the casino on time. Cars of black/red and red/green were just outside the door. I got out of the car, and then waited for Matt to walk with me to the doors. When we got there, one of the DeWynter sisters opened the door for me. "I'm Viola DeWynter, nice to meet you." She said, leading Matt and I inside. Viola guided me to an upstairs area, where there was a room with chairs inside. "Sit." Viola said, motioning to the chairs behind a podium. Matt took one, and I took the other.

Soon, the room was occupied by Killbane, Kiki, Viola, Matt, and I. "Welcome, you two. We are here today to induct a new member into the Syndicate." Killbane said, looking at me. Matt put his hand on my back, and nudged me off the chair. The two DeWynter sisters started to talk in protest, but Killbane soon hushed them. "We are not inducting her as a part of the Saints. She is now the co-leader of the Deckers."

Kiki nodded. I reluctantly walked next to the podium. Shaking, I said a weak "Hello." The sisters waved back. "We will give her the test. Matt?" Killbane said, as Matt got up from his seat. He stood in front of me. "Give her the test." Killbane demanded. "I'm sorry…" Matt said, before knocking me over with a powerful elbow punch in my chest.

I fell down, totally out of breath. I immediately got up, and Killbane clapped slowly. "Congratulations, you passed. Welcome to the Syndicate." He said, as Matt helped me walk. I wrapped my left arm around his neck, and to my surprise, he swept me up into his arms. I smiled a little. "Let's go." He said, as he carried me to the stairs.

"Hold on tight." Matt said, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, careful not to choke him. Matt hopped onto the railing, and slid down onto the first floor. "Let's go back home, shall we?" he asked, in a soft voice. "Of course, Matty." I replied, letting my arms dangle down.

He carried me to the car, and then set me down. I got into the car, and we drove back to headquarters. When we got there, I hopped out of the car. "Hey, Maddison?" Matt asked me. "Yeah?" I replied, curious. "Wanna… you know…" he said, blushing and turning his head away from me. "Go out later today? Of course." I said, happily. "Yes!" Matt squealed, wrapping his arms around me.

Later that day, I approached Matt, who was on the computer. "Wanna go?" I asked, happily. "Sure, let me just finish this real quick." Matt said, closing the window. I took the elevator down, and we went to the garage and hopped on the motorcycle. I rode in front, so that I could take Matt to Smiling Jack's.

We approached the diner. "Here? Sweet." Matt said, as I got off the motorcycle. I walked inside, and looked around. Everyone in the diner looked at us. They started to tremble, before going back to eating. We walked over to the seats we were in that one time, and the waitress walked up to us. "Welcome to Smiling Jack's. I am Alice, your server. What would you like to drink?"

"Water with a lemon, please." I said, happily. "A coke for me, heh." Matt said, smiling. The waitress scribbled down the notes, before leaving. "Thank you for what you did earlier, taking me to the car like that." I said, grabbing one of the tiny sugar packets from the little basket and rubbing it between my fingers.

The sugar grains made a light crunch sound as I did so. "What was life like after we split up so long ago?" Matt asked, curiously. "Like hell. Every night for a month after our seperation I had a dream about you." I said, looking at the menu. "Same here." Matt replied, looking out the window. "I am so glad we found each other. Maddison... I want to confess something." He said, looking straight into my green, slitted eyes. "I love you. I have been thinking of you for the longest of time, and now I found you."

I felt myself blush hard. Everyone was looking at us with a curious expression. "Thank you..." I stuttered, looking around. "I feel the same." I replied, as the waitress came over. "Club sandwich for me." I said, glancing at the menu. "I'll get the same thing." Matt told the waitress. "Thank you for the comment, but could you have said that at a different place? It is sort of embarrassing." I muttered, looking into Matt's dark eyes. "I'm sorry. Sleep deprivation and a lack of food can do things to you." He replied, with a smile.

"I know how you feel." I said in response. "You know… after I watched you disappear into the airport, I thought I'd never see you again." I added, getting a little teared up. "Please, don't mention that again for the better of both of us." Matt cooed, grabbing my hand that was on the sugar holder. "Thank you." I said, feeling a little better. The waitress then came by with our food. "For all of us here at the diner." The waitress added, leaving. As I grabbed one of the fries, Matt was looking at the waitress.

"Doesn't she remind you of… you know… _her_?" he asked, looking back at me. "What do you mean- Oh." I said, stopping to think. The waitress had black hair covering one eye just like Kirsten had. Her eyes were a subtile blue as well. "Yeah. Do you think how I think?" Matt asked, looking back at the waitress.

I stood up and walked up to the waitress. "Excuse me, it may seem weird, but do you know a Kirsten?" I asked. "Yeah, Kirsten Baker?" the waitress responded. Matt soon showed up at my side. "She suddenly disappeared. Do you know what happened to her?" the waitress asked, looking at both of our faces.

"We better sit down for this…" I muttered, looking at a nearby empty booth. Matt and I sat on one side, and the waitress sat at the other side. Whispering to Matt, I asked "Should we tell her the truth about her and the Deckers or tell her a partial truth? A lie?" He nodded in response. "Do you know who he is?" I asked, pointing at Matt. "Do you know his signifigance in Steelport?" I added.

"No, never seen you ever in my life." The waitress responded. Matt looked at me with a worried expression, then mouthed the words _a lie_. "Right. We barely knew her. When we got her name, she was shot in the head with a bullet by a Morningstar sniper." I said, nudging Matt's foot with mine. "It was… It was really tragic…" he said, with a stutter. _Smooth moves_ I mouthed, with an angry emotion in my 'voice'.

The waitress looked at us weirdly. "It was. The Morningstar will pay." She said, flipping part of her hair back. Both Matt and I scooted backwards a little in our seat. "You… You don't work for the Morningstar, do you?" the waitress asked, with a stern expression in her voice. My face felt like… it wanted to let something loose. A secret. The truth.

"What I just told you was a lie. See here, Matt and I are the leader of the Deckers, which is part of the Syndicate, where the Morningstar is the leader. Therefore, we are affiliated with them. Kirsten joined the Deckers as a specialist and died to smoke inhalation and bullet wounds-" "Maddison! Enough!" Matt scolded, as the waitress looked at us with an expression that scared me.

"Well then, looks like we got us a little problem, do we? That can be solved, oh I don't know… the police?" she said, inching towards the phone. "Let's go." I hastily whispered, as both Matt and I went towards the exit. By the time we got outside, the police was already swarming.

"Back in Stilwater, I was in a similar situation. Except that the Saints weren't at the diner, we were in a group, and there were fewer police." I growled, looking off in the distance. Matt dialed a number, and soon the Backup Team Alpha showed up. "Thought I'd call the Deckers in on this situation, right?" he chuckled, pulling out his pistol. "Good thinking." I replied, as we started fighting.

We eventually got back to headquarters. "That was close." I said, a little out of breath. "Right." Matt replied, as the elevator took us to the penthouse. "I'll be right back." He added, as the elevator took him back down. I shrugged, before sitting on the couch. A ring echoed behind me, as the elevator revealed a specialist and a soldier. "Do you mind?" the specialist asked, heading towards the outside doors. "Go ahead." I replied, looking towards the television.

The elevator pinged again as Matt walked out of it, with something behind his back. "What is it?" I asked, standing up and walking over. "Tomorrow's the dance." He replied, blinking and looking down. "What dance?" I asked, curiously. "Every year we have a dance at the clearing near the old headquarters." He replied, shifting his feet slightly.

"Of course we can't have it there, but we are having it over on the beach area. Not the docks, the beach area." Matt added, holding out a rose that he was hiding behind his back. "And I want to have you as my date to it." "Of course." I said, blushing a little. "Good. I used to take Kirsten every year, but, well she did pass away recently." Matt said, both happily and regretfully.

"Ah. And before we met again?" I asked. "Yeah." Matt replied, going into the kitchen and placing the rose into a vase. "Thank you." I spoke, sitting down and turning on the television. "Look, it's the news." I announced, as Matt sat next to me. Jane Valderamma's voice sounded through the speakers as a clip of earlier today was shown on the screen.

"Today at the local Smiling Jack's Family Diner, brave waitress Ashley phoned for the police after finding out that two diners are actually Maddison Hytes and Matt Miller, both leaders of the Deckers." The voice echoed, as I leaned back in the sofa. "I remembered when the woman told me about my sister and what she knew." Ashley said, shaking her head.

The television cut to a security camera recording of our conversation. My words that I blurted out came to my ears in a static noise. "That's when I reached for the phone." Ashley spoke, as the television went back to her face. "And where do you think they are now?" Jane asked, holding a pen and paper in her hands. "I think they headed eastward towards Loren Square." Ashley replied, as the camera panned to Valderamma's face. "Keep your doors locked and your antivirus updated, Steelport. This is Jane Valderamma, with your Steelport news. Good night."

I turned off the television. Matt looked at me. "I got an idea. Let's order pizza, and I'll get it in a different outfit than this one." He said, grabbing my hand. "I'll order!" I gleefully replied, grabbing my personal phone and dialing the pizza place. "PizzaPalace, where we serve the cheesiest pizza in Steelport. What would you like today?" the voice asked.

I cleared my throat and talked in a British accent so flawless that it apparently impressed Matt. "One large pepperoni pizza please, with an order of bread sticks and a bottle of cola." "Alright, and who is this so I can bill accordingly?" the voice asked again. "My name is… Anastasia Hytre. But my husband Alexander will be picking it up." I said, as the pizza place hung up.

When I turned to look at Matt, his eyes were wide and face glowing with blush. "Husband? Really? Is that so?" he asked, startled. "First thing I came up with. And you never know…" I replied, blushing as well. It was a clue I placed to show how affectionate I am of Matt.

"Right. Let me change, I'll be right back." Matt said, heading toward the bedroom. I sighed a little, letting the blush invade my face. I sat down on the couch for a couple minutes, before Matt came out bundled up in a yellow outfit. "Nice, you remind me of an old gang back in Stilwater." I said, as Matt chuckled under the scarf wrapped around his mouth.

Without another word from him, Matt went into the elevator and descended. I walked outside and sat on the helipad, watching him below. I looked on my hand, and there was a faded message, like I wrote it in ink pen and it slowly washed away. "Another part of the prophecy. Seasons may seem like a summery mood when you didn't know about it, but when I told you, the illusion faded. –Kirsten." I read out loud.

A cold hand touched my shoulder. "Pizza's here." Matt said, happily. I stood up, and walked inside. I looked at my hand again, only to see that the message had faded again.


End file.
